Children -- Religious life -- Juvenile fiction; Christian life -- Juvenile fiction; Tableaux -- Juvenile fiction
Daisy felt worried. She turned uneasily and rested her face on her hand,
and so lay looking at the doctor; at his handsome calm features and
glittering blue eye. What could _she_ say to him? The doctor's eye saw a
grave sweet little face, a good deal flushed, very grave, with a whole
burden of thought behind its unruffled simplicity. It may be said, that
his curiosity was as great as Daisy's unwillingness. He began, facing
her as he read. Juanita stood by, somewhat anxious.
'"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."'--
The doctor stopped and looked down at that face of Daisy looking up at
him. He waited.
"I did not use to think how much all that meant," said Daisy humbly. The
doctor went on.
He went on with the grand, majestic words of the story, which sounded
very strange to Daisy from his lips, but very grand; till he came to the
fourteenth verse. '"And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament
of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for
signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: and let them be for
lights in the firmament of the heaven, to give light upon the earth: and
it was so."' The doctor looked at Daisy again.
"There," said she, "that is very different now from what it used to
be--I didn't know what sort of lights those were; it's a great deal more
wonderful now. Won't you read on a little further?"
"'And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and
the lesser light to rule the night; he made the stars also. And God set
them in the firmament of the heaven, to give light upon the earth, and
to rule over the day, and over the night, and to divide the light from
the darkness: and God saw that it was good.'"
"That is what I mean," said Daisy, as the doctor paused. "I never knew
before what those 'lights' meant--I thought the sun was--I don't know
what; I didn't think much about it; but now I never shall forget again.
I know now what sort of a light was made to rule the day; and I don't
wonder--"
"Do not wonder what, Daisy?"
"I do not wonder that God said that it was good. I am so much obliged to
you for telling me about it."
"Never heard a more satisfactory application of knowledge in my
life,"--the doctor remarked with a smile as he handed back the Bible to
Mrs. Benoit. And then he and Preston went off; but Daisy lay long very
thoughtfully looking after them out of her window. Till the sound of the
horses' feet was far out of hearing Daisy lay there looking into the
evening. She did not stir till Mrs. Benoit brought her supper.
"Isn't it wonderful, Juanita," she said with a long drawn breath, "how
the sun divides the light from the darkness?"
"Most things is wonderful, that the Lord makes," answered the black
woman.
"Are they?" said Daisy.
"But what makes my love sigh?" said Juanita anxiously; for Daisy's face
had not brightened up, though she was taking her tea. Daisy looked at
her.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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